Unloading mechanism.



No. 873,991. PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907. w. R. CUNNINGHAM. UNLOADINGMECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16,1907.

2 SHEETS-HEKT l,

lvil'ncoodb Cu in I I L No. 873,991. PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907. W. R.CUNNINGHAM. UNLOADING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION nun snr'r. 16,1907.

2 SHEBTSSHEB.T z,

anueufoz I To an whom it my W",-

- scribe and claim.

- STATES PATENT OFFICE. wILLiiir-a. c mmemm iiUcYnus, oiiio, issierioa'ro THE .uiiinicis our :MACHIINVEBY 60ll PANY', or BUGYBUS, onio, ACORPORATION.

. Be it known that 1, Wm Blow- Nmom, a, citizen of the United States,

residing at Bucyrus in the county of Crawford and State of dhio, haveinvented new and Im rovemgnts in Unloading Mechanism, of w 'chthefollowing is a specification. 4 a

invention relates to certain new.and useful improvements in unlomechanism wherein means are employed or removing loose material carriedby a belt-conveyor, and delive saidmaterial to either or both sides of te conveyor.

Primarily my invention is designed'for handling wheat, corn, clay, coaland other like loose material from a traveling beltconveyer at anyintermediate. point in the length thereof, and to remove part of thematerial on one side and part on they other,

or all on either side, asdesired, such device beingtechnically' known inthis as a nations'of parts which will hereinafter de- In the accom anymgdrawings forming' art of this specification and in which simi arreference characters indicate like parts in the several views,-Figure1', is a side illustration of an unlo inechanism embodying m invention.Fig. 2, is a top wherein I-bea ns, 1, or 1 e plan view of ig.- 1.tioii'.

In carrying out my invention 1 have shown the same associated "with anappropriate frame-works or su porting structure parts form the mainmembers of the base, to which beams the lower ends of suitableu' rights,2, are bo'lted or otherwise secured. ese uprights are in practice spacedapart from substantially one end of the conveyor to the other. Theitigper ends of theuprights support an eleva g guide or track inc uding'the rails, 9, upon which my unloading or tri ping mechanism is mountedand over ,whic it is movable from point to point alo the conveyer-belt,said do or track eing arranged substanti y parallelwith the conveyer andabove the same as shown inFig. 1; This conve or is intended to.represent any of the usu and well known forms used for conveying suchloose material. as before miioannio t r lpociflcationoflptterlratent.

mar 1a. 1007. Serial I0. sumo.

Fig. 3, is an end eleva- Patented Dec. 17, 1907..

mentioned. For purposes of sim licity and convenience the conveyergmay e.a common trave belt of canvas, leather, or other appropriate materialof suitable width an? (gsuch length as may be required, said supbyrollers or pulleys, 5 and 6,

fix to shafts, 4, whose ends are journaled' 3, on the inner sides of theupimpart substantially a transversely curv ed or trough-shape to thebelt, for holdinlg or confining the material on the belt w i p it isbeing conveyed from one point to another.

Upon the guide or track, 9, before mentioned, wheeled or iililovableca-(i1'riage.l(11av' ingmy oading meo amsm is es' e to travel and to befixedly secured, w l ie n desired, as when unloading the material fromthe belt, said carriage including in its construction suitable sideframes, 17 and, 18,

adapted to travel-over and be the plain pulleys, 5 Y

with rollers, 10, or equivalent guides at the lower corners engaging therails of the aforesaid track or snide. 9 'That the si e frames, 17 and18, may be a re riately i h ieces ortie-rods, 11, having collars, 11,orming shoulders for the; side frames to rest against, said rods beingsuitably secured by nuts, 11'.

Appro ed or ot erwise secured to the side frames, 17 and 18, and receivethe journal portions of a transverse shaft, 20, on oneend of which issecured a hand-wheel, 21, by which said shaft may be turned.

Keyed or otherwise fixed to opposite portions of the shaft, 20, betweenthe side frames, 17 and 18, are gear'whe'els 22 and 23, which are-inmesh with rack bars, 24, and 25, vertically disposed and slidable inguides, 26, 27 28 and 29, the lower ends-of the rack bars ing formed orprovided with spaced apart and securely and employ suitable distanceriate journal 19, are bolt- .flanges in which are bolted suitableparallel l tudinal arms, 30 and 31, which are "edtbfoimbe',32and'33,and34 is disposed over and: roximate to a track secure to oneof the side frames, 17, the

. journal bearings,45 and 46, bolted or othersaid shaft having ahand-wheel at one end ers, 36 and 37, which extend transversely! beneaththe upper run of the conveying belt and are designed to engage and liftthe belt from below to remove it from the coneshaped pulleys, 7 and 8,and straighten said belt out transversely for a purpose I will presentlydescribe. Suitable chutes, 35 and 35, are also secured to the parallellongitudinal arms, and direct outwardly beyond the belt the materialdischarged laterally over the edges thereof.

As shown in Fig. 2, I bolt' or otherwise hangers, 38 and 39, whichsupport the short l transverse shaft, 40, having at one end ahand-wheel, 41, and having at the opposite end a worm, 42, which mesheswith a wormgear, 43, on a vertical shaft, 44, mounted in Wise fixed tothe side frame, 17, the lower end of said vertical shaft having fixed toit a wing-scraper or blade, 47 which is turnable in a horizontal planeand is designed to be moved into the range of action of the material onthe conveyer-belt to direct a part or all of the material beingconveyed, outwardly over the edge of the belt and into the chute on thatside of said belt.

The side frames, 17 and 18, also have bolted to them suitablejournal-bearings, 48 and 49, in which the opposite journal-por tions ofa transverse shaft, 50, are mounted,

and having a worm, 52, fixed to it near the opposite end and adapted tomesh with a Worm-gear, 51, which is mounted on a vertical shaft, 54.This shaft is supported in bearings, 55 and 56, which are secured to theother side frame, 18, and. to the lower end of said shaft is secured awing-scraper or blade, 57, which is located near the edge of theconveyer belt 0 posite to that where the other scraper orb ade islocated.

The side frame, 17, also has secured to it a bearing, 58, which isinternally threaded to form a nut to o eratively engage with avertically-disposed screw, 59, having a hand- Wheel, 60, fixed to itsupper end; and to the under side of said frame, 17 suitable hangers, 61and 62, are bolted, said hangers having their inner ends attached to ashoe, 63, which rail, 9, and is designe to en a e or clamp the same as atrack brake and t ereby hold the carriage at any desired point orstation along the conveying belt.

4A lever or crank, L, fixed to one of the main bearing wheel shafts ofthe carriage serves as a means for moving the carriage from one place toanother.

The operation of my unloading mechanism is substantially as follows :Themate rial to be conveyed, Whatever its character, is received upon thebelt-conveyer from any suitable source of supply, and carridto anythereby also raising the parallel longitudinal bars, 30, .31, thechutes, 35 and 35, and the rollers, 36 and 37, these bars forming anelevating frame for therollers and the chutes.

During this operation, the rollers, 36 and 37,

engage the upper run of the belt from. below and lift this portion ofthe belt immediately below the carriage from off the cone-pulleys,

7 and 8, and thereby cause the former transversely-curved ortrough-shape of this part of the belt to be destroyed or changed to afiat level surface for the scrapers, 47 and 57, to operate over todirect the material transversely over one or both edges of said belt, asmay be desired, and into the delivery chute or chutes. The same featurespermit the rollers, 36 and 37, and arms 30 and 31, to be liftedhighenough, say to the dotted position, 75 and 76, in Fig. 1, to safelyand unobstructedly pass over the cone-pulleys, 7 and 8, without removingthe rollers, 36 and 37, when moving the carriage from one position toanother along the length of the conveying belt. The rack and operatingdevices also permit the scrapers to be elevated to accommodate theadjustment of the parts just described. The unloading devices can,therefore, be located at any station, bin, or portion of the buildindesired Where the material is to be unloa ed, or removed from the belt.The hand-wheel, 21 and the before described associated parts, alsoafford means for lowering the bars, 30 and 31, to the position shoWn'bydotted lines, 67 and 68, in Fig. 1, thereby allowing the belt, 64, torest upon the cone-pulleys and resume its transversely curved ortrough-shape, and the material to pass undisturbed under the carriageand the unloading devices to the end of the belt, Whenever it is desiredto do so.

By means of the hand-wheel, 41, shaft, 40, worm, 42, and worm-gear, 43,the vertical shaft, 44, may be turned to position the wingscraper, 47,diagonally across the belt to direct all of the material to one side andinto the chute, 35. If it is desired to discharge all of the materialover the other side or edge of the belt, the wing-scraper is turned bythe aforesaid parts, to assume a position parallel with the travel ofthe belt, and the other scraper, 57,. by means of the hand-wheel, 51,shaft 50, worm, 52, and worm-gear, 53, and the vertical shaft 54, ismoved from the posi tion shown in Fig. 2 to a position across thesurface of the belt similar to, but the reverse of that shown by thescraper, 47 in said Fig.

, level or flat surface, said elevating-means in' 2, when the bedelivered into the chute on that side.-

If it is desired to'remove half of themate rial, more or less, and letthe rtion pass on to the end of the belt, either scrarcanbesetacrossthebelt'tot-aJ desire point or angle, or to the cen linethereof; if V V ohe side of the belt and half on the other, the ends ofboth scaafllers fl andJ57, will be brought substan y together at thecenter ling lclifsagdbelt. 'fifel tn. e a vantage o e'vating e trip rabove the conveyerbelt is that it requii' s less room in-the buildingfor installation of the' conveyer and unloading devices, than with othermec having the same general object in view.

As. a rule, the track rails for the earri e are on a level with theIbeam s, and on t 0 outside of the same, the tripperstraddling materialma be t t or removed, to either or both sides of e conve or, or thematerial may be allowed to pass e unloading mechanism to the end of theconveyer, as

circumstances may make desirable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, as new and desire tosecure by-Letters Patent is, V

1. In an unloading mechanism, the combination with a 'belt conveyer andmeans for imparting thereto substantially a curved or trough-shape incross section, of a movable scraper positioned above the belt, aframesuspended normally below the a me at of the belt, and means inclu fixedto said frame and a pinion engaging said bar for raising the frame andcarrylngrun of the belt whereby the belt is strai ht ened outtransversely and its curve or trough-shape is changed to a. plain flatsurface or the scraper to operate over. 2. In an unloading mechanism thecombination with a belt-conveyer an a support for the carrying-runthereof, said. support com risi means for up the edges of the elt totherebygive the t a curved form in cross-section, of means for elevatingthe belt out of engagement with said edgeuplifting means, and c thecross-sectional form of said belt to substantially a eludingavertically-guided rack-bar and-a pinion eng 881d bar, and a scra eriiite osable in t e f action of t e belt an adapted to direct t ematerial laterally over the edge of-the belt.

3. In an unloading-m the combi half of the matel'illis-desired on nationwith a belt conveyer and means for the upper-run thereof 0 a trac or'de-above and substantially parallel wit the belt, a can-iagemovably-mounted on said track or guide, a scraper turnably mounted onthe c substantially at of said belt, and e eva -means sup on'thecarri eand ad a toliftthebe tinto the range 0 action 0 the scra r, saidelevating means including a frame aving members extending transverselybelowthe lower.

side of the carrying portion of the belt, and vvertically members terefor. t a v 4. In an unloading mechanism, the combination with a beltconveyer and supporting means for the upper run thereof, 0 a tree or}guide above and substantially parallel wit the belt, a carriage'movably-mounted on said track or guide, a scraper turnably mounted onthe carriage on an axis which is substantially at right-angles with thetravel of said belt, a roller frame beneath the upper runof the belt,and elevating means suspending said frame from the carriage and o tolift the frame and cause it to lift t e belt to straightenthe latterouttransversely, said elevating means also permitting the frame to belifted above the lane of the belt supporting means to enab e the frameto clear said supporting means when the carri eis moved from one pointon the belt to an'ot er. j

5. In an unloading mechanism, the combination with a belt conveyer andsupport rollers for the-upper run thereof, eertain fg said rollersadapted to uplift the edges of the belt and thereby give the belt acurved form in cross-section, a track or guide above the belt a carriagemovably-mounted on said trac or guide having a scraper at each sideturnable in a horizontal p time across the range of travel of thematerial-on the belt, whereby said material ma' be delivered to either,'or bot-h,isidesof t e belt, a roller-- 'ded, bars and actuating rotary'rable 1o arriageonanaxiswhichls right-angles with the travei framebeneath the up er run of the belt, said carriage having rackare andactuat' pinions for raising and lowering the rollera'me relative to thebelt, and means for adjusting the position of the scrapers relative tothe travel of the belt. a

6. An unloadi mechanism rcomprising the combination i for normally givithe same a curved form in cross section; rai s fixed above the plane ofthe carrying runof the belt; a carriage movably-mounted on said rails; aroller-c frame normally below the carrying-run o the belt and adapted toengage the same from below; elevat -means on the carriage connected tosaid f -ame and adapted to elevate and depress the latter;horizontally-tunable o a. belt conveyer; means i -scrapers mounted onthe carriage at opposits sides of the belt; and means for adjust- 'ingthe scrapers to cause them to deliver the the combination of a beltconveyer; means for normally giving the same a curved form incross-section rails fixed above the plane of the carrying+run of thebelt; a carriage movably-mounted on said rails; a roller-carrying framenormally belovx the carrying run of the belt and adapted to engage thesame from below; elevatlng-means on the carriage connected to said frameand adapted to elevate and depress the latter; horizontally-turnableWing-scrapers mounted on the carriage at opposite sides of the belt; andmeans for adjust- 15 mg the scrapers to cause them to deliver the wholeor part of the material on either side of the belt, or a part on eachside 'of said belt, means for moving the carria e along its track orguide, and a track brake or fixing the car- 20 riage at any point alongits track or guide.

In testimony whereof l havehereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM R. OUNNJNGHAM. Witnesses: G. MCMIGHAEL,

SAMUEL E. AUoK.

